Mysterious Bird

[Fournier]

Hi everyone, I had a mystery sighting this morning and was wondering if anybody had any ideas as to what it could have been. Before I begin the description however I will just say that I have had quite extensive experience in seeing large birds of prey, so don't assume that I've completely misidentified this bird.

Location: Over a fen/farmland type area near Cambridge (east England)
Date: 22nd April 2006
Time of day: 11:00 am
Behaviour: Extremely high in the sky, gliding on a thermal. Soaring in circles without one wingbeat in the whole time that I saw it (about 3-5 minutes)
Size: Large, however my gut feeling says that it was slightly smaller than a buzzard - may be wrong though.
Distinctive features: Overall quite pale. Most notable three features were 1) a very distinctive (first feature I noticed) white rump/top of tail. 2) Black tip to tail. 3) Very light belly - appeared lighter than the underside of the wings. Other less obvious features include: 1) Medium length tail - didn't look as short as a buzzard's - but not long - it didn't fell like a harrier in shape. 2) Head appeared to be sticking out more than a common buzzard's would - more like a honey (However I'm not certain of this and wouldn't use it as swaying evidence).

Just as an extra item of information, buzzards aren't common around Cambridge. I've seen one (definite) close to where I saw this one. However apart from that I haven't seen any this close (1-2 miles from the city).
Overall it definitely felt like a buzzard. Although I find its size quite unsettling as it did feel smaller than a buzzard - and as I said - I've seen a lot of buzzards. A possibility is a very pale common buzzard. Apart from the fact of the rarity and the dark belly, rough-legged buzzard is tempting as well.
I think the most likely solution is to leave it as unidentified.
If anyone has any ideas I will be most grateful to hear their thoughts.
Ollie

[paulthomas]

Red Kite?

[SteveA]

A few questions Ollie;-
What "wing-shape" did you see? - when circling like this, CB, Honey and Gos would have slightly different shapes.

Did you see any other 'actions' - eg., the 'rocking' action, typical of Buteo spp.?

How rapidly did it gain height - or did it remain at a similar height throughout the time you watched it?

[Nicola Main]

It sounds a bit like a Rough-legged Buzzard. Did it look like this by any chance?

http://www.osqar.se/Foton/Sverige/Fjallvrak_03.jpg

[JM]

Hi, Was it flying around the A428/A14 Juction? If so I saw the bird in question on Tuesday whilst stuck in traffic and believed it to be a Rough legged buzzard, Although is wasn't sure as I have never seen a Buzzard (let alone a rough legged buzzard) in Cambridge.

[Polecat]

I've watched loads of buzzards, rough legged/honey & common of course and I feel there is a definate instinctive route to identifying something that isn't a common.
Mind.....common buzzards come in many, many different guises that can often resemble a rough legged or honey from a distance, however, the overall bodyshape that you describe does sound more like a rough legged.......the distinctive tail bar can be seen on many a common..
With the southerly flow of air up above many raptors may have come along for the ride .......I would plumb for a rough legged, and as they do often visit your are of the UK its better than a 50% chance?

Cheers
Andy

[Fournier]

I have to say I didn't look for a 'wing shape' or any other 'actions' as I wasn't too sure what to be looking for. I would say however that it gained height at quite a slow pace. One other thing that I noticed was that it was roughly in the same place for most of the time (although at different heights) but then it moved off in one direction relatively quickly.
I was talking to my dad about it, and his initial reaction was sparrowhawk. Although to me this seems quite small. I don't know whether anyone thinks it is possible to think that a bird was almost the size of a buzzard when it was in fact a sparrowhawk. It was at quite a distance.

[Fournier]

I see there are lots of votes for the rough legged, however surely this is quite unlikely. I don't know what other people think. Also, the belly was definitely pale, every picture of a rough legged I've come across has a dark belly, even amongst the light variants.
In answer to your question JM, it was closer to the A14 junction with A1303 on the eastern side of Cambridge in Stow Cum Quy Fen.

[SteveA]

From your description, a Sparrowhawk is unlikely - they tend to turn in noticeably tight circles (usually interspersed with rapid bursts of flapping) and gain height rapidly. the head is no more obvious than would the head of a CB.

I'd guess that the chances of seeing an R-LB at this time of year would be similar to say, seeing a Montagu's Harrier - pretty slim !

Goshawk sounds good on several counts, esp. as we're now in the ra*ing pi*eon season and today is a race day! They tend to go very high then drop Peregrine-style onto their prey.

We're just getting into the start of the HB season and some of the description fits well - but they tend to gain height rapidly too.

Unidentified may well be the best way to leave it .

[JM]

Not too far away then, (from my sighting on Tuesday). I have just realized that my previous post sounds if I have never seen a Buzzard (not the case). The Only reason I believed it to be a Rough Legged is due to the pale colouration, black bar on the tail. Adult males show duller under parts without the dark belly patch. Still could be just a pale Common Buzzard